Stagy hairs from fur seal and other skins



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1' A. PATERSON.

REMOVING STAGY HAIRS FROM FUR SEAL AND OTHER SKINS.

No. 331,538. Patented. Dec. 1, 1885.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3. A. PATERSON.

REMOVING STAGY HAIRS FROM FUR SEAL AND OTHER SKINS. No. 331,538.Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

N PETERS. Fllulo-Lnlmgmphur. Washington. D, C.

was "STATES PATENT A tries.

AMBROSE PATERSON, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

.BPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,538, datedDecember 1, 1885.

Application filed December 27, 1884. Serial No. 151,353. (No model.)Patented in England February 16,1884, No. 3,429; in France December10,1884, No. 165,853, and in Canada December 26, 1884, No. 20,796.

T aZZ whom itmcty concern.-

Be it known that I, AMBROSE PATERSON, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at London, England, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Removing Stagy Hairs from Fur-Seal and other Skins, andApparatus Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

A certain class of skinssuch as fur-seals, otters and the like aregreatly improved by the removal of the hairs that form the outercovering of the skin. These hairs are removed either in the process ofdressing or after the skin is dressed by an operation known as pullingor plucking; but by these processes only those hairs which extend beyondthe surface of the wool are removed, while those of immature growth andtechnically termed stagy hairs are left in the skin and greatlydisfigure it.

My apparatus is designed with the object of removing the stagy hairs,and is in the form of an attachment to an enlarged fur-cutting machine.

In order to enable my invention to be fully understood, I will proceedto describe the same by reference to the accompanying draw ings, inwhich- 1 Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an .apparatus forremoving the stagy hairs from furseal and other skins, according to myinvention. Fig. 2 is a lateral or end view, and shows the method ofattaching the apparatus to the frame of a fur-cutting machine, thelatter being indicated by dotted lines. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 aredetached views of parts of the apparatus drawn to a larger scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The skin to be operated upon is first passed between the upper pair ofgrooved rollers, B, thence over the straight edge of the oscillatingframe A and between the lower pair of grooved rollers, B.

To secure the necessary tension while the extremes are passing over thestraight edge of the oscillating frame A, pieces of cloth or canvas ofrequisite length are attached to the ends of the skin.

To facilitate placing the skin in the apparatus, the upper groovedrollers of each pair have squared heads 6 projecting beyond the pinionsb, to which a key can be attached and either pair of rollers be made torevolve with rapidity, the geared wheel 0 being previously removed bywithdrawing the pin 0.. By this operation also the skin is drawn tightlyover the straight edge of the oscillating frame A, and while it is heldfast the geared wheel 0 is replaced and the tension maintained until theskin is finished.

On one side of the oscillating frame A the spindles of the groovedrollers B and B project beyond the bearings, and have pinions b and battached. The lower pinion, b, of the upper pair of grooved rollers, B,and the upper pinion, b, of the lower pair of grooved rollers, B, workin the geared wheel 0. As the oscillating frame A moves back from thecutters of the fur-cutting machine, the pinion c on the endless screw 0comes in contact with the rack O, causing the endless screw 0 torevolve. This sets the geared wheel 0 and the pinions lg and b inmotion. The skin stretched over the straight edge of the oscillatingframe A is thus moved forwarda short distance. As the oscillating frameA returns toward the cutters, the pinion c is prevented from moving bythe pawl 0 and the rack O is forced back by the pinion c, and allows itto pass'over. the rack O", the spring 0" forces it into position againready to engage the pinion c as the oscillating frame A moves back. Thispart of the apparatus is clearly shown in the detached perspective Viewat Fig. 3, and in plan at Fig. 4, which represents the rack and pinion.

The apparatus is set in motion by the belt A passing over the pulley Aon the main shaft of the fur-cutting machine. The flywheel A at the endof the shaft carries a gut band, a, which passes round the pulley at theend of the cylinder to which the cutters of the fur-cutting machine areattached, and round the pulley e of the rotary fan E, in the place ofthe usual tension-pulley of the fur-cutting machine.

To the fan E is attached a pipe, E, which is flattened and expands at Ewhere it is divided into chambers, as shown by the dotted WVhen thepinion c has cleared lines, to equally distribute the current of air,and terminates in a long narrow nozzle from which the air issues.

At the back of the fur-cutting machine is a double-crank shaft, F,working in suitable bearings, f, screwed to the frame of the furcuttingmachine and driven by a pulley, f, and gut band f and pulley f on theend of the main shaft of the fur-cutting machine opposite to that onwhich the fly-wheel A is fixed.

To the cranks j, which are near the ends of the crank-shaft F inside ofthe bearings f, are fitted the crank-arms f and these being attached tothe pins f, fixed to the sides of the frame A, cause it to oscillate.

On the top of the oscillating frame A and near to the straight edge isplaced a guardrod, D, having the side adjacent to the skin, covered withindia-rubber, that it may press uniformly on the fur. This works inbearings d d, but is prevented from revolving by the edge coming incontact with the frame A. It is held in position by the set-screws d d.as shown in the detached enlarged views at Figs. 5 and 6, which showdifferent positions of the guard-rod during the operation of removingthe stagy hairs. The guard-rod D protects the fur on the top side of theoscillating frame from injury by the cutters of the fur-cutting machinewhile the stagy hairs are being cut off. A slotted bearing, d (shownclearly in the said Figs.5 and 6,) is screwed to the fur-cutting machinenear each end of the bed-knife G, and carries a lower guard-rod, D. Thisis similar to the guard-rod D, but the ends of the spindles 01 thereofare squared, so that they may work freely backward and forward in theslotted bearings d without revolving. The ends of the spindles d projectbeyond the slotted bearings, and carry asmall indiarubber ring, d", in agroove cut to receive it, and which prevents it slipping ofi'. Theindia-rubber ring (1* also passes over a pin, d fixed in the bearings d,and thus acts as aspring, and holds the guard-rod D, as shown in Fig. 5.As the oscillating frame A moves forward and meets the lower guard rod,D, the india rubber rings d draw the edge firmly on the under side ofthe straight edge of the frame A, at

' apparatus.

the same time allowing it to move forward with the frame. V

During the forward movement of the oscillating frame A the part of theskin immediately over the straight edge of the frame meets the currentof air issuing from the blowing The yielding fur is blown downward andaway from the stagy hairs, and is caught by the lower guard-rod, D, andheld firmlyagainst the lower side of the oscillating frame A. The rigidstagy hairs thus left protruding are cut off on reaching the cutters ofthe fur-cutting machine.

Having now described my said invention, and in what manner the same isto be performed, what I claim is 1. In an apparatus to be attached to anenlarged fur-cutting machine, for the removal of stagy hairs from sealand other skins, the

combination, with an oscillating frame, A, of a double-crank shaft, F f,and its crank-arms for working said frame, and the grooved rollers BB,for passing the skin over the straight edge, all substantially asshown and described.

2. In an apparatus to be attached to an enhairs from skins, thecombination of an oscillating frame worked by a double-crank shaft andcrank-arms,with the grooved rollers B B, for passing the skin over thestraight edge, and with mechanism, substantially as described, servingto actuate the geared wheel 0, to cause the grooved rollers to moveintermittently, substantially as shown and described.

' 3. The combination, with a rotary blower, and with the oscillatingframe, of the straight edge on the oscillating frame, substantially asset forth.

4. In combination, the rotary blower, as set forth, the straight edge onthe oscillating frame, guard'rod D on the frame, and its bearings d, andguard-rod D and its slotted hearing d substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

AMBROSE PATERSON.

Witnesses:

A. ALBUTT, B. BRADY.

Iarged fur-cutting machinefor removing stagy

